Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy celebrates a play in the first half of the 26-26 tie game on Nov. 24 against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.

Written by

As Ryan Pickett and Steven Jackson sat down for dinner last March, it was looking more and more like the former St. Louis Rams teammates were on the verge of a reunion in Green Bay.

Both were in attendance at the NFL Players Association's annual meeting in the Bahamas, and Jackson was in the midst of being courted by the Green Bay Packers, Pickett's employer since leaving St. Louis in 2006.

The discussions between the Packers and the 30-year-old running back were serious, though Pickett wasn't aware of how close he actually came to signing. ...